R Kelly's daughter finally speaks out about her father in heartbreaking new interview
The 56-year-old record producer was convicted of racketeering and trafficking in 2021
Warning: this article discusses sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
R Kelly's daughter has spoken out about her father in a new documentary trailer.
The American singer and record producer, 57, is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for sexual abuse offences spanning decades.
Last year, he was sentenced to one additional year in jail for pedophilia charges, relating to child pornography and enticement of a minor.
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Kelly's 30-year career ended in 2019 after he was arrested on charges of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving sexual abuse of minors.
Now his daughter, Joanne Kelly, has described how her father's convictions changed her life 'in a millisecond.'
In a trailer for the upcoming film R Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, the 26-year-old says: "Nobody wants to be the child of the father that is out here hurting women and children.
“He knows exactly why we can’t have the relationship that we would have liked to have with him.”
Joanne, who appears to be pregnant in the clips, later on becomes emotional as she speaks about her childhood with Kelly.
She cries: “He was my everything. For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened. I didn’t know that, even if he was a bad person, that he would do something to me.”
She adds: “I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life,” referencing Kelly’s conviction. On speaking to her own children about her father, she said: “If my son asks questions, I’m going to be as truthful as possible. And I will not be taking my son to prison to meet his grandfather.”
Drea Kelly, the R&B artist's ex wife and mom of Joanne and her two other siblings, also appears in the trailer.
“Just because you’re not a good husband, doesn't mean you can’t be a good father. And the fact that he didn’t even try.
"What he did to me, he did to me. But you didn’t have to do it to my damn kids."
Joanne's siblings, Jaah Kelly and Robert Kelly Junior, also speak out in the documentary.
The film's synopsis reads: "With each revelation, viewers are taken on a painful journey of betrayal, trauma, and survival as Joanne seeks to reclaim her voice and identity in the aftermath of her father’s sins.
"In R Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's Journey, the question is no longer just about what R. Kelly did—but about the lives forever scarred by his actions."
R Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's Journey airs on the Tvei Network on October 11.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673) available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org Español: rainn.org/es.
Topics: R Kelly, Sexual Abuse, Crime
Ellie Kemp